Victoria Mgbanwa
In a landmark effort to address the scarcity of locally authored academic textbooks in Nigerian tertiary institutions, the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund) has unveiled 50 newly published textbooks written by Nigerian scholars.
The books, which cover diverse fields such as medicine, engineering, agriculture, and management, were presented at the Tetfund boardroom in Abuja.
Speaking at the event, the Minister of Education, Dr. Morufu Olatunji Alausa, highlighted the significance of the initiative in reducing Nigeria’s reliance on foreign academic materials and strengthening indigenous knowledge production.
He emphasized that the dominance of foreign textbooks in Nigerian universities has exerted undue pressure on foreign exchange and failed to adequately reflect
the country’s local realities.
“It is equally worrisome that the quality of most academic publications in our country leaves much to be desired. It is therefore expected that nurturing the culture of quality authorship and the production of Indigenous books will not only ensure the availability of relevant books in the diverse subject areas that take cognizance of our local environment and sensitivities but will also safeguard national pride and reduce the demand for foreign exchange.”
Dr. Alausa stated.
The Executive Secretary of TETFund, Arc. Sonny S. T. Echono revealed that the initiative is part of a broader Higher Education Book Development Project, which has so far produced 130 reviewed and published textbooks.
He noted that the number of locally published books had remained low in past years, with only 14 published in 2014. However, renewed efforts under his leadership have led to significant progress, including the release of 80 titles in 2023 and the 50 books presented at the event.
“The lack of sufficient, high-quality tertiary-level textbooks has reached a critical point in Nigeria. The shortage is not only seen in the limited quantity of books available but also in the quality of what is produced locally. This crisis prompted the establishment of the TETFund Higher Education Book Development Project, a bold and visionary initiative aimed at addressing this significant gap.
“To ensure that this initiative was effectively implemented, the Board of Trustees of TETFund took a crucial step in 2009 by setting up the Technical Advisory Group (TAG). Members of TAG consist of academic experts drawn from the six geopolitical zones, representatives of academic unions (ASUU, ASUP and COAESU), as well as the representatives of three Regulatory Bodies (NUC, NBTE and NCC),” Echono said.
The Chairman of TETFund’s Board of Trustees, Rt. Hon. Aminu Bello Masari reaffirmed the fund’s commitment to ensuring quality interventions in tertiary education, including the establishment of academic publishing centres, support for professional journals, and innovations such as medical simulation programs.
One of the key shifts in TETFund’s approach is the decision to compensate authors based on the number of pages in their books, rather than the previous model of awarding them 1,000 copies. This move, according to stakeholders, is aimed at ensuring fairness and encouraging more scholars to contribute to the project.
The Technical Advisory Group (TAG), responsible for overseeing the academic book publication process, revealed that the books were published in collaboration with five university presses, including those at the University of Calabar, Ahmadu Bello University, and Obafemi Awolowo University.
TAG Chairman, Professor Albert Abegunde, noted that the new titles span critical academic areas such as medicine, law, technology, education, and security studies. He also announced that efforts are underway to digitize the books and provide open-access platforms to make them widely available.
“Beyond academic book publication, TAG is strategizing to identify grey areas of all professions and locate our outstanding Indigenous scholars in both local and international environments so that they can publish with us and turn brain-drain to brain-gain. Efforts are being channelled towards contributing to entrepreneurship and reviving dormant APCs to ensure their sustainability.” Abegunde said.
The event underscored the commitment of the Bola Ahmed Tinubu administration to improving higher education through strategic investments in content development and faculty capacity building.
With more manuscripts in the pipeline and a clear strategy to enhance indigenous authorship, stakeholders believe that Nigeria is on the right path to reducing its dependence on foreign textbooks and strengthening its academic publishing industry.
